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Chelmsford Group Wants Folks to Know Town 'Gets it Done' (Lowell Sun) By Rita Savard, rsavard@lowellsun.com CHELMSFORD -- You've heard "Make it in Massachusetts" and "There's a lot to like about Lowell." Now Chelmsford officials have developed a branding plan of their own to help attract businesses, tourists and new residents in shaky economic times -- "Chelmsford gets it done." The new slogan, which accompanies a logo of a handshake to symbolize the town as a partner with community and commerce, seeks to sharpen the community's identity and market what Chelmsford has to offer. According to the Economic Development Commission, that includes being named the 21st-best place to live in the country in 2007 by Money Magazine, ranking 19th among the state's 351 cities and towns for being "high-tech friendly" by the Mass High Tech Council, and boasting a central location with great restaurants, schools and neighborhoods that is also close to major highways. The branding campaign was unveiled at last night's Board of Selectmen meeting by members of the Chelmsford Economic Development Commission, who were joined by Chelmsford's state representatives, as well as executives from three Chelmsford companies that made The Boston Globe's 2009 list of the 100 best places to work in Massachusetts. Michael Kowalyk, chairman of the Economic Development Commission, said the town's branding campaign is about more than one logo or a tagline. In an unstable economy, Kowalyk told selectmen a well-coordinated approach to recruit new business can help drive an economic recovery. "This is not a field of dreams," Kowalyk said. "If you build it, that doesn't mean (businesses) will come. It's a market share battle, and if they don't go to Chelmsford, they'll go somewhere else. You have to meet their needs." That's why the town is pulling out the big guns to lure more companies to its lineup. From a brand standpoint, Kowalyk said Chelmsford is the only town in Massachusetts that can say it hosts four companies from the Globe's top 100 places to work -- Datawatch, Hittite Microwave, ZOLL Medical and Airvana. Representatives from three of the companies told town officials last night why Chelmsford was a great place to work. Airvana, which provides mobile broadband services, began as a small startup company in 2001 with fewer than 100 employees. Today, the company employs about 550. "The greatest thing about Chelmsford is its location," said Mark Miner, a vice president for Airvana. "When we have people coming in from out of town to do business with us, we know they have a comfortable place to stay, with access to all the amenities -- restaurants, recreation, entertainment and all the major highways. Boston is also just 30 minutes away." It's that kind of feedback that will help make Chelmsford a destination point for targeted businesses including the nanotechnology, new-energy and health-care industries, Kowalyk said. The Economic Development Commission is also working on identifying and reaching out to businesses that will strengthen the local economy, and is working with commercial brokers and landlords to help make it easier for companies to make the transition to Chelmsford. The Economic Development Commission is also polling local businesses to find out how the town can make their experience in Chelmsford even better. Selectmen Chairman George Dixon called the commission's work "commendable" and said it's an important first step in the town's economic recovery. Branding strategies have been embraced by several cities and towns across the country to help them stand out among the competition and gain traction in the recession. Lowell updated its motto, "There's a lot to like about Lowell," last May to include the positioning statement, "Alive, Unique and Inspiring." Radio ads marketing the revised brand run regularly on 92.5, FM and slide shows are available on Boston.com. The city paid Single Source Marketing about $160,000 for its services. Chelmsford hasn't made any plans to use money from the town budget to pay for outside advertising, but if the town's online marketing strategy brings in results, it could become an opportunity for investment that pays for itself in the long run, Kowalyk said. "A strong identity is vital if you're competing with other cities and towns to attract business," he said. "We already have an impressive list of awards and recognition that puts us on the map. That shows that Chelmsford gets it done. Now we just need to get the word out." |